Reposted by PC Lee
This is scant consolation, but Listeria was first discovered by Hülphers in Sweden in 1910. He isolated the bacterium from the liver of a rabbit & called it "Bacillus hepatis." Others later suggested "Bacterium monocytogenes" or "Listerella hepatolytica" & settled on "Listeria monocytogenes." #IDsky
Four ill with sepsis after food poisoning outbreak at Stockholm restaurant
Four ill with sepsis after food poisoning outbreak at Stockholm restaurant
The rare and potentially life-threatening complication comes after the people dined at a luxury eatery.
www.bbc.com
October 2, 2025 at 5:46 PM
This is scant consolation, but Listeria was first discovered by Hülphers in Sweden in 1910. He isolated the bacterium from the liver of a rabbit & called it "Bacillus hepatis." Others later suggested "Bacterium monocytogenes" or "Listerella hepatolytica" & settled on "Listeria monocytogenes." #IDsky
Reposted by PC Lee
Today is the 97th anniversary of penicillin's discovery!
Many know the story of Fleming's serendipitous find. But fewer know that the antibiotic-producing mold drifted in from a nearby lab where it was being studied during an unusually cool period that allowed it to grow.
apnews.com/today-in-his...
Many know the story of Fleming's serendipitous find. But fewer know that the antibiotic-producing mold drifted in from a nearby lab where it was being studied during an unusually cool period that allowed it to grow.
apnews.com/today-in-his...
Today in History: September 28, Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
1924: First round-the-world flight 2020: Global COVID death toll reaches 1 million 2022: Hurricane Ian strikes Florida
apnews.com
September 28, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Today is the 97th anniversary of penicillin's discovery!
Many know the story of Fleming's serendipitous find. But fewer know that the antibiotic-producing mold drifted in from a nearby lab where it was being studied during an unusually cool period that allowed it to grow.
apnews.com/today-in-his...
Many know the story of Fleming's serendipitous find. But fewer know that the antibiotic-producing mold drifted in from a nearby lab where it was being studied during an unusually cool period that allowed it to grow.
apnews.com/today-in-his...
Reposted by PC Lee
Nice writeup of our discovery of the first Legionella phage from @uoftmedicine.bsky.social. A special thanks to Betty Zou for being interested in our latest work. temertymedicine.utoronto.ca/news/scienti...
Scientists identify first virus to infect Legionella, revealing evolutionary origins of Legionnaire's disease
U of T researchers have made the first discovery of a virus that infects Legionella pneumophila, the bacteria that causes Legionnaires’ disease.
temertymedicine.utoronto.ca
September 23, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Nice writeup of our discovery of the first Legionella phage from @uoftmedicine.bsky.social. A special thanks to Betty Zou for being interested in our latest work. temertymedicine.utoronto.ca/news/scienti...
Reposted by PC Lee
PhD students! Curious about RNA biology, phages & interbacterial interactions? Come spend 3–4 months in my lab through the Azrieli International Visiting PhD Fellowship (ILS 12K/month). Collaborate and experience science & culture together!
azrielifoundation.org/azrieli-fell...
azrielifoundation.org/azrieli-fell...
Call for Applications for the Azrieli International Visiting PhD Fellowship - The Azrieli Foundation
The Azrieli International Visiting PhD Fellowship offers outstanding international PhD candidates the opportunity to conduct short-term research in Israel, fostering academic collaboration and strengt...
azrielifoundation.org
September 15, 2025 at 9:43 AM
PhD students! Curious about RNA biology, phages & interbacterial interactions? Come spend 3–4 months in my lab through the Azrieli International Visiting PhD Fellowship (ILS 12K/month). Collaborate and experience science & culture together!
azrielifoundation.org/azrieli-fell...
azrielifoundation.org/azrieli-fell...
Reposted by PC Lee
@science.org exclusive! Scientists--and owners--have puzzled for years about why cats eat grass, only seemingly to throw it up for no reason. Could a new study finally solve the mystery? Cool--and very fun--story by Christa Lesté-Lasserre
Gold-covered hairballs may reveal why cats eat grass
Spiky projections on plant matter may act like “drain snakes,” helping felines dislodge wads of fur
www.science.org
September 13, 2025 at 3:53 PM
@science.org exclusive! Scientists--and owners--have puzzled for years about why cats eat grass, only seemingly to throw it up for no reason. Could a new study finally solve the mystery? Cool--and very fun--story by Christa Lesté-Lasserre
Reposted by PC Lee
Excited to share our new publication, out today in Nature! www.nature.com/articles/s41.... @kanchanj.bsky.social led this fascinating fungal-bacterial interaction project. We are grateful for our wonderful collaborators Brian Peters and David Underhill.
Commensal yeast promotes Salmonella Typhimurium virulence - Nature
Commensal Candida albicans enhances the virulence and dissemination of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhimurium.
www.nature.com
September 3, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Excited to share our new publication, out today in Nature! www.nature.com/articles/s41.... @kanchanj.bsky.social led this fascinating fungal-bacterial interaction project. We are grateful for our wonderful collaborators Brian Peters and David Underhill.
Reposted by PC Lee
Sorry for the late reply @superbug-slayer.bsky.social @roblavigne.bsky.social. Here's a Legionella phage & it likely shaped the emergence of Legionnaires' in the first place! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... (cryoEM w/ @smlea.bsky.social @justindeme.bsky.social). #phage #legionella #legionnaires
September 3, 2025 at 6:22 PM
Sorry for the late reply @superbug-slayer.bsky.social @roblavigne.bsky.social. Here's a Legionella phage & it likely shaped the emergence of Legionnaires' in the first place! www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... (cryoEM w/ @smlea.bsky.social @justindeme.bsky.social). #phage #legionella #legionnaires
Reposted by PC Lee
Yes plague still exists in many parts of the world including the western US:
What to Know About Plague After a New Case in California www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/h...
What to Know About Plague After a New Case in California www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/h...
What to Know About Plague After a New Case in California
www.nytimes.com
August 24, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Yes plague still exists in many parts of the world including the western US:
What to Know About Plague After a New Case in California www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/h...
What to Know About Plague After a New Case in California www.nytimes.com/2025/08/22/h...
Reposted by PC Lee
From former PhD Student Jordan Lin (now a postdoc w/ Ami Bhatt), in which we describe a contact-dependent, cell-extrinsic response to genotoxic stress. #MicroSky.
A bacterial toxin-antitoxin system involved in an unusual response to genotoxic stress | EMBO reports www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
A bacterial toxin-antitoxin system involved in an unusual response to genotoxic stress | EMBO reports www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
A bacterial toxin-antitoxin system involved in an unusual response to genotoxic stress | EMBO reports
imageimageThe GndRX system in Legionella pneumophila is a predicted toxin-antitoxin module that causes death during DNA stress. GndRX
has non-canonical functionality and appears to be the consequence ...
www.embopress.org
August 18, 2025 at 3:10 PM
From former PhD Student Jordan Lin (now a postdoc w/ Ami Bhatt), in which we describe a contact-dependent, cell-extrinsic response to genotoxic stress. #MicroSky.
A bacterial toxin-antitoxin system involved in an unusual response to genotoxic stress | EMBO reports www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
A bacterial toxin-antitoxin system involved in an unusual response to genotoxic stress | EMBO reports www.embopress.org/doi/full/10....
Reposted by PC Lee
Legionnaires' disease exhibits a strong seasonality in incidence and is favored during warm, humid conditions. This has implications for the potential impact of climate change.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
August 5, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Legionnaires' disease exhibits a strong seasonality in incidence and is favored during warm, humid conditions. This has implications for the potential impact of climate change.
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC...
Reposted by PC Lee
“A second person has now died and more than 50 people have fallen ill as part of a growing Legionnaires' cluster in Harlem, city health officials reported… The cases from the cluster have been found in five Harlem ZIP codes: 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037 and 10039, along with the bordering communities”
2 dead, 58 sick from Harlem Legionnaires' disease cluster
A second person has now died and more than 50 people have fallen ill as part of a growing Legionnaires’ cluster in Harlem, city health officials reported Monday.
www.nbcnewyork.com
August 5, 2025 at 11:58 AM
“A second person has now died and more than 50 people have fallen ill as part of a growing Legionnaires' cluster in Harlem, city health officials reported… The cases from the cluster have been found in five Harlem ZIP codes: 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037 and 10039, along with the bordering communities”
Reposted by PC Lee
Not sure it should be required, but given the scant time devoted to basic science in most med schools, taking micro as an undergrad makes good sense. Microbiology is a great foundation for learning medicine at molecular, cellular, physiological and community levels.
www.statnews.com/2025/07/16/m...
www.statnews.com/2025/07/16/m...
Medical school prerequisites should include microbiology
Medical schools must make microbiology a prerequisite — to prepare students not just for school but for practicing medicine.
www.statnews.com
July 16, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Not sure it should be required, but given the scant time devoted to basic science in most med schools, taking micro as an undergrad makes good sense. Microbiology is a great foundation for learning medicine at molecular, cellular, physiological and community levels.
www.statnews.com/2025/07/16/m...
www.statnews.com/2025/07/16/m...
Reposted by PC Lee
Excellent letter to the editor of her hometown paper by PhD student Adrienne Brauer. First two lines are bangers. Science does help everyone! #proudPI #McClintockProject #midwest
@cornellasap.bsky.social my McClintock letter in the Petersburg Observer! Research helps everyone, including farmers 👩🌾🚜🌽
July 3, 2025 at 2:26 AM
Excellent letter to the editor of her hometown paper by PhD student Adrienne Brauer. First two lines are bangers. Science does help everyone! #proudPI #McClintockProject #midwest
Reposted by PC Lee
Congrats @sunnyshinlab.bsky.social @vvazquez.bsky.social and co-authors!!
Thrilled that our latest paper showing that DCs undergo either pyroptosis or apoptosis upon bacterial blockade of host translation to restrict Legionella is now online at the @asm.org journal mBio! Congrats to 1st author @vvazquez.bsky.social & co-authors! 🎉 journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Dendritic cells activate pyroptosis and effector-triggered apoptosis to restrict Legionella infection | mBio
The innate immune system senses bacterial pathogens by employing pattern recognition
receptors that detect pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and guard proteins
that monitor pathogen disru...
journals.asm.org
June 23, 2025 at 2:58 AM
Congrats @sunnyshinlab.bsky.social @vvazquez.bsky.social and co-authors!!
Reposted by PC Lee
Thrilled that our latest paper showing that DCs undergo either pyroptosis or apoptosis upon bacterial blockade of host translation to restrict Legionella is now online at the @asm.org journal mBio! Congrats to 1st author @vvazquez.bsky.social & co-authors! 🎉 journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Dendritic cells activate pyroptosis and effector-triggered apoptosis to restrict Legionella infection | mBio
The innate immune system senses bacterial pathogens by employing pattern recognition
receptors that detect pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and guard proteins
that monitor pathogen disru...
journals.asm.org
June 19, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Thrilled that our latest paper showing that DCs undergo either pyroptosis or apoptosis upon bacterial blockade of host translation to restrict Legionella is now online at the @asm.org journal mBio! Congrats to 1st author @vvazquez.bsky.social & co-authors! 🎉 journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/...
Reposted by PC Lee
Registration for MMPC 2025 opens today! We can’t wait to see you in St. Charles, IL, for the first MMPC hosted by Loyola University Chicago!
www.mmpconference2025.com/registration
www.mmpconference2025.com/registration
MMPC 2025 - Registration
Please click here to visit Loyola's secure site for conference registration!
The following meals will be included with your registration fee:
Dinner, Friday October 3
Lunch, Saturday October 4
Dinner...
www.mmpconference2025.com
May 1, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Registration for MMPC 2025 opens today! We can’t wait to see you in St. Charles, IL, for the first MMPC hosted by Loyola University Chicago!
www.mmpconference2025.com/registration
www.mmpconference2025.com/registration
Reposted by PC Lee
Members of the American Society for Microbiology spent a day on Capitol Hill meeting with members of Congress and their staff to advocate for federal science funding and to discuss biosafety and biosecurity. Learn more about #ASMAdvocacy at asm.social/2pV.
May 16, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Members of the American Society for Microbiology spent a day on Capitol Hill meeting with members of Congress and their staff to advocate for federal science funding and to discuss biosafety and biosecurity. Learn more about #ASMAdvocacy at asm.social/2pV.
Reposted by PC Lee
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... @drbadbug.bsky.social @teresaomeara.bsky.social Overall, our findings illustrate non-canonical IRE1α activation during infection and a function for IRE1α in supporting organelle contact sites to safeguard against rapidly growing microbes.
IRE1α promotes phagosomal calcium flux to enhance macrophage fungicidal activity
The mammalian endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress sensor inositol-requiring enzyme 1α (IRE1α) is essential for cellular homeostasis and plays key roles …
www.sciencedirect.com
May 12, 2025 at 8:27 PM
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti... @drbadbug.bsky.social @teresaomeara.bsky.social Overall, our findings illustrate non-canonical IRE1α activation during infection and a function for IRE1α in supporting organelle contact sites to safeguard against rapidly growing microbes.
Thank you to all teachers/mentors in science
May 6, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Thank you to all teachers/mentors in science
Reposted by PC Lee
Cell division in rod-shaped bacteria is well studied (think "Min system"), but how do round bacteria find their middle? @felixrl.bsky.social 's new review article covers how #Staph aureus, Streptococci, and others figure out how to perform binary fission.
portlandpress.com/biochemsoctr...
portlandpress.com/biochemsoctr...
How do spherical bacteria regulate cell division?
Many bacteria divide by binary fission, producing two identical daughter cells, which requires proper placement of the division machinery at mid-cell. Spherical bacteria (cocci) face unique challenges...
portlandpress.com
April 22, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Cell division in rod-shaped bacteria is well studied (think "Min system"), but how do round bacteria find their middle? @felixrl.bsky.social 's new review article covers how #Staph aureus, Streptococci, and others figure out how to perform binary fission.
portlandpress.com/biochemsoctr...
portlandpress.com/biochemsoctr...
Reposted by PC Lee
≋B≋A≋C≋T≋E≋R≋I≋A≋L≋
≋S≋P≋E≋E≋D≋
The spirochete that causes Lyme disease was clocked at 2,800 µm/min moving back and forth across a platelet—100 times greater than the speed of a neutrophil, the fastest human cell
Petition to rename:
"𝘽𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙖 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙜𝙙𝙤𝙧𝙁𝙀𝙍𝙍𝘼𝙍𝙄"
Ref: doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0001633
≋S≋P≋E≋E≋D≋
The spirochete that causes Lyme disease was clocked at 2,800 µm/min moving back and forth across a platelet—100 times greater than the speed of a neutrophil, the fastest human cell
Petition to rename:
"𝘽𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙖 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙜𝙙𝙤𝙧𝙁𝙀𝙍𝙍𝘼𝙍𝙄"
Ref: doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0001633
April 13, 2025 at 9:38 PM
≋B≋A≋C≋T≋E≋R≋I≋A≋L≋
≋S≋P≋E≋E≋D≋
The spirochete that causes Lyme disease was clocked at 2,800 µm/min moving back and forth across a platelet—100 times greater than the speed of a neutrophil, the fastest human cell
Petition to rename:
"𝘽𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙖 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙜𝙙𝙤𝙧𝙁𝙀𝙍𝙍𝘼𝙍𝙄"
Ref: doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0001633
≋S≋P≋E≋E≋D≋
The spirochete that causes Lyme disease was clocked at 2,800 µm/min moving back and forth across a platelet—100 times greater than the speed of a neutrophil, the fastest human cell
Petition to rename:
"𝘽𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙖 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙜𝙙𝙤𝙧𝙁𝙀𝙍𝙍𝘼𝙍𝙄"
Ref: doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0001633
Reposted by PC Lee
Excited to share this new preprint from the lab, where postdoc Pavan Silva @kptsilva.bsky.social found pathways that control gene amplifications, and thus antibiotic resistance, in Staph aureus!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Genetic determinants of gene amplifications alter frequency and evolutionary trajectory of antibiotic resistance in Staphylococcus aureus
Gene amplifications are thought to be common in bacterial populations, providing a rapid reversible mode of adaptation to diverse stresses, including the acquisition of antibiotic resistance. We previ...
www.biorxiv.org
April 12, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Excited to share this new preprint from the lab, where postdoc Pavan Silva @kptsilva.bsky.social found pathways that control gene amplifications, and thus antibiotic resistance, in Staph aureus!
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
The fight between Hippo and pathogens continues at the molecular and organismic levels…
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
DR Congo: Anthrax kills dozens of hippos in Virunga National Park - BBC News
Efforts are now under way to recover the animals and bury them to prevent further spread.
www.bbc.com
April 11, 2025 at 2:32 PM
The fight between Hippo and pathogens continues at the molecular and organismic levels…
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by PC Lee
Stefan’s work can be found here on biorxiv:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We describe analysis of oral infection & systemic dissemination dynamics of yersinia pseudotuberculosis using a library of isogenic bacteria each containing unique barcodes to track them throughout the infection
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We describe analysis of oral infection & systemic dissemination dynamics of yersinia pseudotuberculosis using a library of isogenic bacteria each containing unique barcodes to track them throughout the infection
TNF signaling maintains local restriction of bacterial founder populations in intestinal and systemic sites during oral Yersinia infection
Enteroinvasive bacterial pathogens are responsible for an enormous worldwide disease burden that critically affects the young and immunocompromised. Yersinia pseudotuberculosis is a Gram-negative ente...
www.biorxiv.org
April 9, 2025 at 3:13 AM
Stefan’s work can be found here on biorxiv:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We describe analysis of oral infection & systemic dissemination dynamics of yersinia pseudotuberculosis using a library of isogenic bacteria each containing unique barcodes to track them throughout the infection
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
We describe analysis of oral infection & systemic dissemination dynamics of yersinia pseudotuberculosis using a library of isogenic bacteria each containing unique barcodes to track them throughout the infection